San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-27
Valerie,
HALF A TR j TIL.
d ''THE DUCHESS. I"

IN suspense until tomorrow.
Evening passed into night, and Mrs.
Langley did not return home. At last,
little after ten o'clock, Valerie rang the
bell and sent footman with the letter to
Mr.. Lawford's house in Carlton House
Terrace.
The messenger could not have been thirty
PAGES from the house, when Valerie, who
was in the drawing-room, heard the car
rage stop, and the next moment her aunt's
step came up the stairs with unusual rapid
| ity. Valerie, who had been musing. with
no small apprehension, over the contest
she expected, but in which she was fully
| prepared to conquer, spranR to her feet
with new fear. Had anything happened
that Mrs. Langley was so hurried' The
| door was almost burst open before the girl
was more than half way to 1t, and Mrs
| Langley, her face flushed and agitated her
| whole mien denoting great mental dis
turbance, entered, and dropped into chair.
Aunt Constance" exclaimed Valerie,
| springing to her side. What is the mat
| teri"
"My dear" said Mrs. Langley, recover
| ing herself little Il have been greatly
startled and shocked. They kept me at
the Seltons' to dinner, and then | went on
and called at the Lawfords'. / wanted to
see Aston and they told me that Lettie
had called in Whitehall Gardens this after
noon and was told that Elinor and Max
had been summoned to Abbot's Leigh at
two o'cio6es this morning GeraSSlh WIS
dangerously ILL.," Valerie clasped her
hands with a cry of dismay. And later
telegram" continued Mrs. Langley, said
that it was violent Inflammation Of the
lungs, from a chill, and there was great
danger"
''Oh, aunt Constance" exclaimed the
girl, her eyes blind with tears, "how terri
ble-how terrible for them alp
He may recover" said Mrs. Langley,
more composedly. HE is not yet forty,
and has strong constitution. Aston Law
ford told me-" she added, looking at her
niece, who stood silent, too shocked for
speech, that he had written to you to-day"
Valerie started, flushing crimson.
Eyes," she said, confusedly, ''he-I-oh.
please never mind that nowr'
But must mind 1t, child You have
not answered him YETI"
Eyes, have. He asked me not to delay,
and l kept the letter as long as could for
you to see. only sent it just before you
came in"
A ring, that resounded through the house
mingled with her last words.
Valerie made quick step toward the
door.
"Come here, child" said her aunt, q lit
tie sternly. What did you says"
81 said-I-"
A hurried knock at the door, and its in.
slant opening interrupted her.
A footman came in, and handed q tele-
gram to Mrs. Langley.
She glanced at it and grew suddenly livid.
Great Heavenr' she said. Gerald Beau.
regard is deadr'
Valerie almost snatched the paper from
her aunt's nerveless hand, and read, with
dazed eyes:
From Colonel Beauregard, Abbot's
Leigh, to Mrs Langley, -, Upper Brook
Street, London, w.
my brother died at eight this evening,
OF acute Inflammation. l will write later.
Nellie greatly Frustrated, but in no dan
ger.".
Gerald Beauregard deadl
1T can't be true" Valerie whispered,
hoarsely, with wide-open eyes of horror.
1T can't be truep'
But Mrs. Langley said, slowly: at is
only too true!'' Then. after pause, under
her breath, to herself rather than to Va
ierie: And Max Beauregard is lord of Alb
hot,s Taiuhsv